The cure for Alt-itis, or Altohisim is much like a cure for the common cold. There are many theories, but no one method works for everyone. Many methods do work however. Since I began playing MMOs, I've been an Altoholic. I've battled it for many years, but have come up with some methods that may help you with your battle.
Let's begin with a bit of basic info.
- Alt-itis is a lack of focus. The inability to focus on one and only one character.
- Roughly 65% of MMO players suffer from it.
- I made up that last statistic.
- You can't cure your alt-itis if you are unwilling to make sacrifice. The severity of your sacrifice depends on the condition of your alt-itis.
Now, depending on your condition, as described in the last section, more or less harsh measure may need to be taken. However, any combination of the following tips should suffice.
Tip 1- Develop a story for your character.
Making your own story about the origin of your character and where he/she got his powers or why he/she is who they are and do what they do can greatly improve your desire to continue playing them. Many games have a specific section in-game to add a bio for your character. Others don't, but fear not! Sites such as this (blogger) work quite well if you want to develop your story outside of the game, or the game doesn't have the option. If you are a City of Heroes/Villains player you might want to check out
this site as well.
Here are a few of my characters I've made pages for:
Nether Harlequin and
White Panda
Tip 2- You got to have a reason!
Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out this tip. If there is no content at the level cap, what is the point of even reaching it? If you just want a character at the cap just for the sake of having a character at the cap, then you may want to rethink why you are even playing in the first place. Bonus tip: Having a maximum level character doesn't amount to much outside the game. If all you want to do is hang around towns so people can look at you and say "ohhh, a level 100" then you might want to seriously rethink your priorities.
Tip 3A big mistake many people make, myself included, is making a character solely based on how they look. Sure that tank might look pretty bad ass in his epic raid gear, but if you don't like tanking, you're never going to get that gear for yourself. It doesn't matter how good they might look, if you don't like playing a class you aren't going to stick with it. Which would be Tip #4.
Tip 4- Play what you like, not what you think you will like.
Sure, when you first start playing you have no idea what class you're going to like. So, naturally you need to play them to find out. If you aren't new to the whole MMO genre however, and know, for example, that you don't like healing or tanking then don't go making a Warrior or Priest! If you know that you like or don't like something from past experience, then be smart and make the right decision the first time!
Tip 5- Play at the right pace for you.
How do you know what the right pace is? It differs for everyone. You need to find a comfortable pace that allows you to do what you want to do. If you want to do as many quests as possible and learn about the lore, then take the time necessary to read the quests and learn! If you want to do some crafting a long the way, that is fine. Just make sure you are taking the time to do what you want to do on your journey to the level cap. Remember the words of an old proverb: "It's not the destination, but the journey that matters."
If your sole reason for playing is to reach the cap as soon as possible, you're going to find yourself getting burned out pretty quickly. Ever wonder why there are so many female players who level at a snail's pace end up reaching the level cap, while you got burned out long ago? Because they take their time and do what they want to do, not playing just to reach the cap, but to have fun. Which brings up to Tip #5.
Tip 6Yeah, it might be fun to experience raids and pvp at maximum level. But if you aren't having fun the way there, you aren't going to last long. You need to find something that is fun to do at your current level, and all the way to the cap. If you can't then you may be doomed to a life of perpetual alt-itis.
Tip 7Yes, many things that apply in real life resolutions and life goals apply to MMOs and reaching that level cap! Find something to strive for. The ultimate goal always will be to reach the cap, but you need to find more short-term goals as well. A few examples would be:
- Getting that new spell at level xx.
- Getting a new weapon for level xx.
- Getting that set of armor for level xx.
- Getting lai....oh wait, wrong goal list.
- Seeing the level xx zone.
- Fighting those level xx monsters.
You always need short-term goals to help reach long-term goals.
Tip 8Things are always better and more lively with a friend around. Finding a buddy to level with you will really help your chances of reaching the cap without resorting to making more alts.
Tip 9Most MMOs have a "good side" and a "bad side." Most of the time you'll stick with the side you like the best. In doing so, you can get bored with characters faster then before because you've already seen all the zones and experienced most quests that each particular side has to offer. This can sometimes be a tough move to make. If you are really set on playing as one side to the other, sometimes a change of Race can help. But if you don't care which side you play on, try making a switch to your normal playing area.
Tip 10- Try something completely off the wall.
This tip both contradicts Tip #4 and further reinforces it. If you have played Healers all your life and have never cared for or tried DPsing, try it! You may find that you really like the class and you'll be excited about playing again. You might even stick with it until the cap. Like Tip #6 says, if you don't like what you're playing you aren't going to get very far. Of course you could hate it just like you knew you would and this tip is completely worthless. It could go either way.
Tip 11- Drastic times call for drastic measures
This is the hardest thing to do of all the tips: Delete all your characters.
Yes, you heard me. Delete all your characters and start anew. This is indeed very drastic, but you won't be temped to play your alts if they don't exist. Of course you will always have the option to create new alts, but if you've leveled any to a moderate level before you probably won't want to go through the same thing again....
Alternate Tip 11If you don't want to delete all your characters, you can do the complete opposite. Make as many characters as allowed on your server, or even account. For added leverage level them up to a decent level so that you don't
want to delete them. Then, choose the one you like playing the best and never look back.
Tip 12Joining a large guild with many players can often help someone with alt-itis. Wandering around in the world all alone is no way to go about it. Having people to talk to every time you log in should really help you out. There were times when I wouldn't have logged in at all some days had it not been for my guild members.
Alt-itis is a tough illness to battle. But, if you follow these tips hopefully you will prevail. Tips #1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 12 really helped me. But if you are really bad, you might want to consider Tip #11 and it's alternative.
